Sewing on Zoom is loads of fun!

What can I say?   I have the BEST friends ever! We had so much fun at the Virtual Retreat. Where else would you be able to chat to quilters from various parts of Northern Ontario while they were in their studios? The joke at one time became - how north are you? Because as they joined the call, each was more north than the other! We had people from Western Canada and from the US. And then a couple of people were on the call whose houses I could walk to! 

Oh yes -- so much fun! And I get so much done while we're chatting. I was going to get some handwork done, but I totally forgot. That has to be on the agenda for this week. I MUST get that double wedding ring quilt done. 

But here's the best part of the retreats. We get to chat with each other, and we share. Oh my -- I learned a LOT this retreat. But more importantly than what each of us has to share, I think knowing that you are NOT ALONE in anything we do makes us rich beyond our wildest dreams. We all have husbands who do weird things, we all have health issues and family issues, and knowing that others are in the same boat, doesn't solve those problems, but it makes us realize that we are not alone. 

For mental health, that's so important. So if you're struggling at home because you can't visit people, and you choose NOT to attend a Zoom retreat, I think you're doing yourself a disservice. Of course, if you already have an active social outlet, then you probably don't need the contact. 

Anyway - a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who dropped by. I left the call at 9 PM on both days and the night owls stayed on. Good grief --- they can't get enough. But I was at the gym at 5 AM this morning, and I need my sleep. 

The next quilt got loaded on the long arm, ready to be quilted later today. And I almost got a quilt top together. This was the quilt at some point in the day. 

My new project

All the blocks are now done and mostly together. I didn't get a picture of it before I closed the sewing machine down last night. It's a gift for someone, but they don't read my blog, so I'm safe to post. The pattern is Hopscotch by The Quilt Patch (our favorite store in Moose Jaw, which is closed-- gosh -- I miss them!) Anyway, I made the blocks larger than the pattern, and it's made from red flannel. I think the recipient, whose favorite color is red, will like it. 

I don't normally just buy fabric for the sake of buying it, but I love fabric with words on it, and I thought I should buy some.  

Fabric with words

I did feel a bit guilty putting it on the shelf in the stash room. I have no idea what will happen to this fabric. No plans for it, and that seems a bit wasteful now. It never used to bother me, but knowing that I'll likely never use it? Well, I'm over the guilt, and I rarely buy anything that I don't have plans for, so I'm allowed a slip every once in a while. 

I posted some pictures of Murphy the other day on Instagram. That dog is a veritable pigpen! Someone asked me if I gave her a bath. Ah no -- that's just a waste of time. So while the mud from the previous day had dried up and fell off either outside or in the house, this is what she looked like yesterday. Much worse than the previous day. Sigh.....................

Murphy is a dirty girl!

So what's the point of giving her a baht? I think she likes being dirty and covered in debris! I've been trying to get someone to groom her, but no one will take her! Well, that's not true. PetSmart didn't ask us to come back after going there twice. She barks her head off the entire time. You can imagine why we didn't get asked for another appointment. The groomer at the vet is NOT doing anything except emergency grooming. Trust me -- I've practically begged. And the mobile groomer - well, I didn't like her. I guess it's time for Youtube and my own pair of scissors. Murphy  -- come to Mom!!!

But this dog has a mind of her own. She is getting better when on the leash. Notice, I said better, not good! Why does she have to bark her head off when we stop to talk to someone? I'm able to calm her down now so that we can at least have a conversation. YES -- I do stop from time to time to have a chat with someone I meet, but it's rare. 

And if we see a squirrel? That is mostly controlled by a constant flow of the word NO coming from me. She can mostly deal with squirrels now, but god forbid if she spots it before I do. However, when she sees a rabbit? No -- that is not a situation under control. And yesterday? We saw a fox, and she went ballistic! So it's all baby steps - she's much better than she used to be. But seriously --- if I had roller blades on, we would be flying through the walk!

Murphy on the scent of the fox

We chatted about everything and anything, and what is said at the retreat stays at the retreat. However, the subject of geocaching came up since several of us have accounts or have done caching in the past. So when I went for my walk, I was thrown a gauntlet  - was I going to find a cache on the walk? Well, of course, I had to then. 

But seriously, if ever you see a person wandering aimlessly around a thicket on very public property, like the local mall, and you think they have lost their marbles - they are probably geocaching!

When I see this one here, it's easy to spot the black zip tie that holds the cache to the tree. 

Can you spot the geocache?

However, with the traffic on the road about 20 feet away and the sun shining in my eyes, it took a few minutes to spot in person. But it's all in great fun, and I really do NEED to get away from the sewing thing. Although I don't mind sewing all the time. I do enjoy geocaching, and I'm glad Susan got me back into it!!

Today is my first day "back to work" with one presentation in English. It's the same one that I'll be doing tomorrow in French, so that's a good thing! A good lead into what I need to practice for tomorrow. I have a few samples to photograph and add to the presentation. I'm excited about it!!!

If you're interested in the Virtual Retreat and want to stop by, the next one is scheduled for September 25 and 26. I used to host Sit and Sew days twice a month where people came to my house, but the virtual retreat is way more exciting, and no one has to pack stuff up. And I love that there's only one conversation that everyone can participate in! And we get to stay in touch with people who have moved away. That's the most important thing. People dropped by that I haven't seen in a long time, and it was great to catch up. I hope they come back later this month!

Well, on that note, I'm off! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!